Design-her-Gals Privacy Policy
GENERAL MATTERS
Overview
At Design-her-Gals, protecting our users' privacy and security is a top
priority. For this reason, we have adopted the following policy to advise you
of your choices regarding the use of your personal information online. This
policy describes what types of information we gather about you, how we use it,
under what circumstances we disclose it to third-parties, and your rights to
update or correct it.
Scope of Policy
This Policy applies to Design-her-Gals’ web site. It does not apply
to other companies' or organizations' web sites to which we link. You should
carefully review the privacy policies of those web sites in order to determine
how they treat your personal information.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Information Gathered From All Visitors
Aggregate Data
We gather certain generic information with respect to customers' use of
our web site, such as the number of unique visitors, the frequency with which
they visit, and the areas on the web site that they favor. These statistics
are very much like television ratings that tell the networks how many people
tuned in to a program. We only use this type of data in aggregate-that is, we
look at the data on a collective basis, in summary form, rather than on an individual
basis. This data helps us determine the extent to which our customers use certain
parts of our web site, which, in turn, enables us to make it as appealing as
possible. We may also provide statistical "ratings" about how our
customers collectively use our web site to advertisers, sponsors, and other
companies with which we do business ("Business Partners"). We do this
so they, too, can understand how often people use their areas of the site in
order for them to provide you with the best possible experience. These statistical
ratings do not contain any personally identifiable information about you or
any of our users.
Cookies
We use a technology nicknamed "cookies" on our web site. Cookies
are pieces of information or data sent to your browser from a web server and
stored on your computer's hard drive for record-keeping purposes. We use cookies
to make your visit to our web site easier. For example, cookies allow us to
recognize you when you re-enter our web site so that you will not have to sign-in
each time you visit. Cookies also allow us to count the number of unique and
return visitors who use our site. Most browsers are initially set up to accept
cookies. If you prefer, you can reset your browser to notify you when you've
received a cookie or, alternatively, to refuse to accept cookies. It is important
to note that you may not be able to use certain features on our web site if
you choose not to accept cookies, such as subscription cards and My Account.
In addition, you will not be able to participate in any of our sweepstakes or
contests. Cookies can also enable us to track and target the interests of our
users to enhance their experience on our site.
IP Addresses
We collect and analyze traffic on our web site by keeping track of the IP
addresses of our visitors. IP addresses are unique numeric identifiers that
are assigned to each computer browser accessing the Internet. An IP address,
by itself, cannot identify you personally. However, when combined with other
information provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), your IP address
can be used to identify the computer originating a message.
When You Send A Greeting
If you use our web site to send an online greeting or any other content,
we collect your e-mail address and your recipient's e-mail address. This information
is necessary to send the content and provide confirmation that it has been received.
We may use these email addresses for marketing or promotional purposes. We may
also use your e-mail address to contact you if you have chosen to receive communications
from Design-her-Gals or its Partners. (See Opt-Out/Changing Your Status, below).
Personalizing Your Experience on the Web Site
We try to personalize your experience on our web sites by tracking greetings
and other content you have sent and gifts you have purchased in order to shape
our recommendations about the greetings, cards, games, and gifts that might
be of interest to you. We also examine customer traffic patterns and web site
usage to help us enhance the design and layout of the site and make it easier
to navigate.
From time to time, we may send you surveys or solicit your feedback. We use surveys to gage user interest in new products and premiums we may offer. We will ask for your feedback on greetings and other site features. We will use the information we gather to improve our sites and provide a more meaningful experience for our users. We may also use the information to alert you to offers and products in which you have expressed an interest.
Communications from Design-her-Gals
We send to all of our users our exclusive Design-her-Gals Newsletter, which
alerts you to new features, content, and services, premiums available on our
site. From time to time, we will also send you invitations to enhance your Design-her-Gals
membership, offers for new products and services from Design-her-Gals, special
"Members Only" premiums, or special offers from our affiliates and
sponsors. These communications are sent to you directly by Design-her-Gals.
We do not share your personally identifiable information with any third parties
in connection with the Newsletter.
You can always decline the Newsletter by un-checking the opt-out on the registration pages on our site. If you are already receiving the Newsletter and you want to unsubscribe, you can simply follow the "Edit Your Subscriptions" links at the bottom of each edition. For other ways to unsubscribe, see Opt-Out/Changing Your Status, below.
Communications from Our Business Partners
Design-her-Gals also offers you the opportunity to receive money-saving
offers, discounts, and promotions from our Business Partners. These communications
may come from Design-her-Gals or directly from the Partners themselves. We may
also share with them certain demographic, geographic, preference, and other
personally identifiable information we have gathered about you. This will help
them in directing to you offers that are more likely to be of interest.
This program is conducted strictly on an opt-in basis. In order to receive the offers, you must affirmatively check the clearly marked pages and registration pages on our site. If you leave the box unchecked, you will not receive any offers. If you do sign up for the program but later change your mind, you are free at any time to opt-out by following the procedures outlined in Opt-Out/Changing Your Status, below.
Mandatory Communications
Design-her-Gals reserves the right to communicate with you from time to
time about important administrative, policy, legal, credit card, and billing
matters, which will affect your use of our web sites, including without limitation
any alleged violations of our Terms of Service. These communications are mandatory.
Information Gathered From Members
If you elect to purchase a Membership on Design-her-Gals, you will be required
to provide us with certain personal information, including your name, e-mail
address, credit card number, expiration date, and billing address (this required
information is subject to change from time to time). There will also be opportunities
for you to provide us with additional information regarding your preferences
and interests. This information, however, is not required and is completely
optional on your part.
Additional data may be collected from Members based upon certain services they elect to utilize on our web site. For example, we may track the categories of greetings (types of projects) you send in order to make appropriate recommendations for products or services available on our site or those of our Business Partners. Design-her-Gals Membership allows you to store greetings for future delivery. By obtaining this information, we can provide our Members with specific content and advertising in which they might be interested. None of this information is required to use our service or to become a Member; however, the omission of certain types of data will limit the value of your membership.
If you become a Member of Design-her-Gals from one of our co-branded sites, we may share your registration information with the co-branded partner. In such instances, the site will be clearly labeled with the branding information of our partner and links to its privacy policy will be conspicuously posted. We may also disclose your offline address to postal advertisers and catalogue marketers. If you do not wish to receive such communications, you can send an e-mail to Customer Service and you will be removed from the list.
DESIGN-HER-GALS'S USES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
If you have provided us your consent, we will use the information we have
collected about you in five ways:
* To send personalized, targeted information that we think our users will
find relevant, either from Design-her-Gals or directly from its Business Partners;
* To include targeted advertising within such messages;
* To send promotions and coupons based on the user's interests;
* To contact the user for feedback and surveys; and
* To send the user other information about Design-her-Gals.
On-Site Advertising
Design-her-Gals may also use information about you to target advertising
while you are visiting our site. We may also use geographic or other information
we have collected from you to make sure that the ads you see are for goods and
services that are actually of interest to you or are available in your area.
We may use cookie files to assure that you will not be served the same ads repeatedly.
Information Sharing Between Affiliates
DHG is part of the Design-her-Gals, LLC and Write Expressions, LLC. Oregon
and California companies, respectively. Design-her-Gals reserves the right to
share your personally identifiable information with those companies, including
your e-mail, postal address, phone number, and purchase history. We may use
that information to conduct joint promotions, offer you special premiums, and
to share databases and equipment. We also reserve the right to share your personal
information with other companies that DHG may subsequently acquire. We will
only share your credit card information among our affiliates if you expressly
give us permission to do so.
Order Fulfillment
From time to time, you may be given the opportunity to order products and
services directly on the Design-her-Gals site, the Newsletters, or in other
communications you may receive from Design-her-Gals. These orders are typically
fulfilled by Design-her-Gals's Business Partners directly. To process your order,
Design-her-Gals may provide these Partners with your name, street address, e-mail
address, phone number, and credit card information. Design-her-Gals will limit
the types of information shared to the minimum necessary to efficiently process
your order. However, in accepting these offers, you become a customer of the
Business Partner and therefore subject to its privacy policy. Design-her-Gals
will alert users whenever a Business Partner will be fulfilling an order for
products or services ordered on our site. We encourage you to review these companies'
privacy policies and only do business with those who adhere to personal information
practices with which you are comfortable.
Privacy of Greeting Card Information
We treat all of our greetings products as private correspondence between
the sender and the recipient and will not disclose the contents of any greeting
other than to the intended recipient, except under the specific situations outlined
in Disclosure Exceptions, below. This policy applies to all aspects of our greetings,
including your personalized messages. Under normal circumstances, we will not
monitor or edit the contents of the online greetings you send. On occasion,
however, we may need to view your message in connection with the technical processing
of your greeting or the maintenance of our network. Also, if you ask one of
our customer service representatives to help you send a greeting or to verify
that a greeting was sent, that representative will be able to access all information
about the card, including the recipient's e-mail address and the message.
Disclosure Exceptions
Notwithstanding the above policies, we reserve the right to disclose your
personal information to appropriate third-parties if we are required to do so
by law or we believe that such action is necessary:
* To comply with legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena or court
order;
* To protect the company's rights and property;
* To investigate reports of users sending material using a false e-mail address
or users sending harassing, threatening, or abusive messages;
* To protect against misuse or unauthorized use of our web site and/or the Design-her-Gals
service; or
* During emergencies, such as when we believe someone's physical safety is at
risk.
Your IP address can be accessed by greetings recipients in the header of the notification e-mail. Under certain circumstances, recipients, their legal representatives, and/or law enforcement authorities may be able to combine this with information disclosed by ISPs to determine the source of a particular communication. By using this service, you knowingly and voluntarily assume any risks associated with such disclosure.
YOUR CONTROL OVER YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Opt-Out/Changing Your Status
At any time, you can change choices you have previously made as to the use
of your personal information. Every communication Design-her-Gals sends you
will contain a clearly worded "Edit Your Subscriptions" link allowing
you to withdraw your permission for future mailings. This system is automated
and must be contacted from the email address you wish to have removed. Permission
changes will be honored as soon as possible after receipt. Please allow five
to seven days for processing. Permission changes will however not affect any
information which you provided to us and which we previously shared with our
Business Partners.
Editing Your Profile
If you are a registered member, you have the ability to review and correct
your personally identifiable information at any time. Simply sign into the site
and click the "My Account" link on the header of every page. There,
you can access Edit My Profile and change your address information, e-mail type,
sign-in, and e-mail permissions.
OTHER MATTERS
Protection For Children - COPPA Compliance
We are committed to protecting the privacy and rights of children online.
We believe that children should be able to use the Internet in a safe, productive,
and efficient manner and should be afforded the highest protection available
with respect to their personal information. To that end, we have made it our
policy to not collect any individually identifiable information from users whom
we know are under the age of 13.
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") imposes certain requirements upon web sites and online services that are directed toward children.
Contests and Promotions
Occasionally, Design-her-Gals may sponsor contests and/or promotions on
our sites or in our e-mail products. Participation in such contests is purely
voluntary. In order to enter a contest or promotion, you may be asked to provide
personally identifiable information. By entering, you agree to all of its terms
and conditions, which will be clearly outlined in the rules. Where a contest
or promotion is not sponsored by Design-her-Gals, the identity of the sponsor
will be clearly disclosed in the rules. Design-her-Gals cannot be responsible
for actions or policies of third-party contest sponsors. Users are encouraged
to review the relevant privacy policy of the sponsor before entering.
Sale of Assets
In the event that Design-her-Gals and/or its units or subsidiaries are ever
sold, acquired, merged, liquidated, reorganized, or otherwise transferred, we
reserve the right to transfer our user databases together with any personally
identifiable information contained therein, to a third-party acquiring Design-her-Gals's
assets. In the event we do so, we will place a prominent notice of the sale
on the homepage of our site, with links to information as to how you can change
your privacy preferences.
Data Security
When you place orders for purchased products or access your payment information,
we use an advanced encryption technology known as Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
to protect the storage and transfer of your data from unauthorized parties.
While on a secure page, such as our registration form, a lock or key icon appears
on the bottom of your web browser.
In addition to our online security efforts, we take steps to protect your personal data offline, as well. All of your information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our offices. Employees are granted access on a need-to-know basis (for example, our billing clerk or a customer service representative). Furthermore, ALL employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices. Finally, the servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment, behind a locked cage.
Design-her-Gals's main servers are operated from a dedicated Internet hosting facility with state-of-the-art physical security features, including smoke detection and fire suppression systems, motion sensors, and 24x7 secured access, as well as video camera surveillance and security breach alarms. If you have any questions about the security at our website, you can send an email to Customer Service.
Changes to the Privacy Policy
Design-her-Gals will occasionally update this Privacy Policy in response
to changing business circumstances and legal developments. When Design-her-Gals
posts changes to this Policy, you will see the word "updated" next
to the Privacy Policy link on the front page of Design-her-Gals Sites. If there
are material changes to this Policy or in how Design-her-Gals uses your personally
identifiable information, Design-her-Gals will prominently post such changes
prior to implementing the change. Design-her-Gals encourages you to periodically
review this Policy to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
USE COMMON SENSE IN ALL YOUR ONLINE ACTIVITIES
Even the best policy can't protect your online privacy and security
in all circumstances. Unscrupulous advertisers, hackers, and scam artists are
constantly searching the Internet looking for new targets. Your best protection
is to understand the limits to privacy on the Internet and use common sense
in all of your on-line activities.
Be aware that e-mail is an inherently insecure form of communication. Remember that third parties are sometimes able to illegally intercept your unencrypted messages, including online greetings. Anytime you visit a chat room or post a message to an on-line bulletin board, your e-mail address can be accessed by advertisers looking to compile lists for unsolicited commercial e-mail (also known as spam). Be sure that you only disclose your e-mail address in circumstances in which it is safe to do so.
Beware of scams in which persons unknown to you request your screen name, password, or credit card information. Make sure you verify the identity of anyone asking for personal information. Always monitor your children's on-line activities and educate them as to the rules for safe Internet use. For more information, click here for the Internet Education Foundation's Online Safety Guide for Kids.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at Design-her-Gals
Customer Support.